Arsenal will look to maintain their standing as league leaders when they host Aston Villa on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Emirates Stadium. These sides met earlier this month at Villa Park, where Emi Buendia’s goal in stoppage time was the difference in a 2-1 win for the hosts. The Gunners are two points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League table while Aston Villa are three points behind Arsenal, so a win for the visitors on Tuesday would create a tie on points at the top of the standings.
Kickoff from Emirates Stadium in London in set for 3:15 p.m. ET. Arsenal are -195 favorites (wager $195 to win $100) in the latest Arsenal vs. Aston Villa odds at DraftKings Sportsbook while Aston Villa are +550 underdogs (wager $100 to win $550). A draw comes in at +330 and the total is 2.5 (Over -120, Under -110). You can see the latest Arsenal vs. Aston Villa projections at SportsLine but before making wagers on the game, be sure to check out SportsLine expert Martin Green’s picks.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.
Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Arsenal vs. Aston Villa on Tuesday, Dec. 30.
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa best bets
- Both teams to score (+110): 1u
- Arsenal to win and Over 2.5 goals (+130): 0.5u
- Morgan Rogers Over 0.5 shots on goal (+110): 0.5u
Aston Villa will try to extend their winning streak to 12 games when they take on Arsenal in London on Tuesday. Unai Emery’s men remain third in the Premier League table after battling to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the weekend. That result left them three points behind Arsenal and a point behind Manchester City, and they’re surging with momentum right now.
Aston Villa have won their last eight Premier League games, along with three Europa League matches. Their remarkable winning run included a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at Villa Park on Dec. 6. They’ve already beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Manchester United this season, so they look like genuine Premier League title contenders. However, they now face their sternest test as Arsenal are unbeaten at home this season. It promises to be a hard-fought game between two strong teams, and it could be decided by a piece of individual brilliance from Morgan Rogers or Martin Ødegaard.
Defensive issues threaten to derail Arsenal’s title challenge
Arsenal will be out for revenge when they host Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. They were a little unfortunate to lose 2-1 at Villa Park on Dec. 6, as Emi Buendía scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time. They were also dealing with major defensive issues. Central defenders William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, and Christhian Mosquera were injured, so Arsenal had to deploy full-backs Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapié as a makeshift defensive duo. Saliba returned to the team a couple of weeks ago, and Gabriel has now recovered from a long-term injury too. He came off the bench for the final 20 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Brighton on Saturday.
Gabriel could now return to the starting XI against Aston Villa, which would give the team a huge boost. He’s a terrific defender, but he’s also very dangerous at attacking set pieces. Yet Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis shows no signs of abating. Mosquera and Ben White are both still sidelined, and Timber missed the Brighton game with an injury. Left back Riccardo Calafiori was also injured in the warm-up for that match. Manager Mikel Arteta had to deploy midfielder Declan Rice as a makeshift right back, while Myles Lewis-Skelly filled in at left back. He looks shaky in defense, and Brighton had a lot of joy by targeting him in the second half.
Arsenal conceded just two goals in their first 10 league games this season. They kept eight clean sheets, and that rock solid defense powered them to the top of the table. However, the clean sheets have now dried up during this ongoing injury crisis. They’ve conceded eight goals in their last eight games, keeping just two clean sheets. It suggests the Gunners are unlikely to keep Aston Villa’s rampant attack at bay on Tuesday, even if Gabriel returns to the starting XI.
Rogers drives Aston Villa to success
Rogers has delivered a string of sensational performances in recent weeks. The Aston Villa playmaker has scored six goals in his last seven matches. He scored twice in a 3-2 win against West Ham on Dec. 14 and grabbed two goals in the 2-1 victory over Man United a week later. Rogers didn’t score in the 2-1 win against Chelsea on Saturday, but his perfectly weighted pass teed up Ollie Watkins to score the equalizer. Watkins then headed in the winning goal from a corner, and his return to form will delight the Aston Villa fans.
Rogers and Watkins should cause plenty of problems for Arsenal’s banged-up defense in this game. Yet they’ll struggle to shut out Arsenal’s forwards. Villa have conceded 12 goals in nine away games this season, with just one clean sheet on the road. It’s also worth noting Arsenal have the best home record in the league. They’ve picked up eight wins and a draw from nine home games, with 22 goals scored and just four conceded. Ødegaard looks back to his best, and he fired in an excellent goal in the 2-1 win against Brighton at the weekend. Bukayo Saka is always dangerous and the Gunners can call upon Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke for added firepower.
As such, a bet on both teams to score looks appealing. It really could go either way, but Arsenal might just have enough quality end Villa’s winning streak. They have home advantage and their squad is bigger than Villa’s, so they could clinch a narrow win on Tuesday.
